


Base Hit

by kikikryslee



Series: Bottom of the Tenth [3]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Baseball, Domestic Fluff, Established Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Sports injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-17
Packaged: 2019-03-16 11:02:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13634961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kikikryslee/pseuds/kikikryslee
Summary: Louis stood up, keeping his weight in his left foot.“So what happened?” Harry asked, watching Louis hop around the bench and toward the car.“I did this crazy dive for the ball before it went into the outfield,” Louis answered. “You should’ve seen it, babe. It was awesome. I did one of those tuck and roll things and when I came up, my ankle just kind of went the wrong way.”Harry nodded. “That sounds like a great movie scene, Lou. What really happened?”“That is what really happened!”Harry raised an eyebrow.“Fine,” Louis huffed. “I ran to first base and tripped over the bag when I was trying to get Ernie out. Are you happy?”---Or, just some domestic fluff where Louis hurts his ankle while playing baseball with his brother and Harry gets to take care of him.





	Base Hit

**Author's Note:**

> Whoooo! This really came down to the wire, but I did it! Coming up with your own idea is hard, OK? AND keeping it under 2,500 words? Really hard. But it's all done!  
> Thank you to everyone in my GC's for letting me bitch about this for the last however many months. And especially thank you to [Caryn](https://tommostummie.tumblr.com/) for reading over it so fast for me!

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and Harry was supposed to be working on lesson plans. He’d had every intention of doing so when Louis left an hour ago to take his brother Ernest to the park to play baseball.

But as it was, Harry was currently spread out on the couch, flicking through channels on the television. It was then that his cell phone started ringing.

“Hey, babe,” Harry said when he saw it was Louis calling.

“Harry, can you come get us?”

Harry frowned, confused at why Louis’ brother was on the phone. “E? What’s the matter? Where’s Lou?”

“He’s right here,” Ernest said over the phone. “But he tripped and hurt his ankle and now he can’t move.”

“I can so!” Louis called out.

“You cannot! You’d still be on the field if it wasn’t for me.”

“I could hop just fine.”

“You’re still at the park?” Harry asked, interrupting whatever brotherly argument they were about to continue.

“Yeah, we’re here,” Ernest answered. “When you get here, we’re at the baseball field near the running track, not the one when you first come in.”

“Got it. I’m on my way.”

“Thanks, bro.”

Harry hung up and shook his head. Well, there went his day. So much for lesson planning.

But, as Harry left the apartment, he passed his book bag with all of his school work, still by the door, right where he’d dropped it yesterday after getting back from school. OK, so maybe it wasn’t actually interrupting any progress.

\---

When Harry got to the park, he went back toward the running track, as instructed. He easily spotted Louis, who was sitting on a bench near the parking lot, tossing a baseball to Ernest.

At least they were still making the most of their time.

Harry parked and got out of the car. The weather really was nice, so it was actually a bit of a shame that they couldn’t fully enjoy it.

“I see you’re holding up OK,” Harry called out as he approached them.

“Yeah, we’re doing all right,” Louis replied. He tilted his face up and puckered his lips so Harry could kiss him. After two quick pecks, Louis said, “Hi. Sorry for dragging you out here.”

“You should be. I was making so much progress.”

Louis rolled his eyes. “You were not. You were probably on the couch watching TV.”

“Was not.”

Louis grabbed Harry’s left hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the engagement ring he’d put there just a month ago.

“Babe, I love you, but lying is not your strong suit.”

Harry smiled. “Fine. Maybe I was just watching TV. Or something.”

“Uh-huh. I know you were.”

Ernest came over then. “Hi, bro.”

“Hey, Ern. Sorry your afternoon got messed up because some people are clumsy.”

Ernest shrugged. “It’s OK.”

“I’m sitting right here,” Louis cut in. “And Harry, you have no room to talk about people being clumsy.”

“Yeah, that’s kind of true.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “You want a ride home or not?”

“Yes!” Ernest held on to his mitt and grabbed his bat before sprinting for the car.

Louis stood up, keeping his weight in his left foot.

“So what happened?” Harry asked, watching Louis hop around the bench and toward the car.

“I did this crazy dive for the ball before it went into the outfield. You should’ve seen it, babe. It was awesome. I did one of those tuck and roll things and when I came up, my ankle just kind of went the wrong way.”

Harry nodded. “That sounds like a great movie scene, Lou. What really happened?”

“That is what really happened!”

Harry raised an eyebrow.

“Fine,” Louis huffed. “I ran to first base and tripped over the bag when I was trying to get Ernie out.”

Harry laughed. “Man, you really are clumsy. And, um, you’re taking forever, so…”

Without another word, Harry scooped Louis up bridal-style and carried him toward the car.

“You’ve got to be kidding!” Louis protested. He started squirming in Harry’s arms, but he couldn’t break out.

“Just make this easier for all of us, Louis, and keep all of your weight off your foot.”

“I was!”

“Not by hopping across a patch of grass where any of the ground can be uneven, you nerd.”

“You’re really pleasant. Remind me why I’m marrying you?”

“Because I pick your broken ass up from the park when you get injured on a simple play.”

Louis muttered something under his breath, but Harry was too busy laughing to hear it.

He put Louis down next to the car, opened the door and helped him in before walking around the car to get to the driver’s side.

“We’ll come back for your car tomorrow, I guess,” Harry told Louis as he put the key in the ignition. “If it feels better, anyway.”

“I’ll be fine. Just wrap it and elevate it. Good as new.”

“Should be,” Harry said as he started driving. “Can you call your mom and just let her know we’re bringing E back?”

Louis pulled out his phone and dialed his mom.

“Hey,” he said when she answered. “We’re on our way back.”

“Already?” Jay asked. “How come?”

“Eh, park was kind of crowded.”

“Louis hurt himself!” Ernest yelled, loudly enough that he was sure Jay would hear it.

“I did not!” Louis whirled around his seat. “Ernie, shut up!”

“You hurt yourself?” Jay asked. “How? Are you ok?”

“I didn’t hurt myself. Ernie’s just being a menace.”

“Am not!”

“Are, too!”

“Hi, Jay!” Harry called out so his future mother-in-law knew he was there.

“Hi, Harry! Louis, why is Harry there? How did you get hurt?”

Louis groaned.

“He tripped!” Ernest said from the backseat.

Admitting defeat, Louis just passed the phone to his younger brother.

“Hi, Mom,” Ernest said into the phone. “So I hit the ball, right? And Louis scooped it up and he started running. But I got to first base before he did. And I tagged it, but Lou couldn’t slow down quick enough. His toe caught on the bag and he tripped. Actually, he kind of went flying. It was pretty funny.”

“Shut up,” Louis grumbled.

“Make me. I can outrun you now,” Ernest replied.

“With that sass, you really can’t deny that he’s your brother,” Harry said.

Louis rolled his eyes.

About ten minutes later, Harry pulled into the driveway outside of Jay’s house.

Harry unbuckled his seatbelt. “I’ll be right back.”

But it looked like that wouldn’t be happening. When he looked up, he saw Jay coming out of the house. Seeing as he wouldn’t be leaving the car, he just lowered the windows.

“There are my all-stars,” she joked.

“Hey, mom,” Ernest said happily as he got out of the car.

“So _you’re_ not injured, right? Just your brother?”

“Yeah. Unlike him, I know how to stop when I’m supposed to.”

“Don’t hold back, Ern,” Louis deadpanned. “Just keep it up with the jokes.”

Ernest shrugged. “If you insist.”

Harry shook his head, watching the two brothers bicker, knowing full well Louis would usually be dishing it right back. His ankle must have really been hurting him.

“Thanks for picking them up, Harry,” Jay said.

“No problem. I might be needing help from you or Dan though, to get his car tomorrow if he’s not feeling up to it.”

“Sure thing. Just let us know.”

“Will do.” He looked over at Louis, who looked positively grumpy in the passenger seat. “Let me get this one home.”

Jay took in her son’s expression and pressed her lips together, clearly holding back a laugh. “Sounds good. Thanks again, Harry.”

“You’re welcome. See you tomorrow for dinner.”

Jay smiled and waved them off before she and Ernest headed back inside the house.

“Do we need to stop at the store for any pain medicine?” Harry asked, backing out of the driveway.

Louis shook his head. “No, we should have Tylenol in the cabinet.”

“OK.”

They headed back home, and once Harry pulled into a spot, he realized he’d have to carry Louis again. There were a few steps that led into their building, and the elevator was so slow they usually found it faster to just walk to the third floor.

He hoped Louis wouldn’t put up a fight.

Harry got out of the car quickly, and rushed over to Louis’ side to make sure he didn’t have any trouble. He stood close by as Louis maneuvered his way out, managing to stay on one foot as he got out of the car and shut the door behind him.

“May I?” Harry asked gently.

Louis nodded. “All you had to do was ask.” He hopped forward a step and then draped one arm around Harry’s neck.

Harry bent his knees and put one arm behind Louis’ back and the other behind his knees. He stood up straight, picking Louis up as he went.

He headed straight for their building, locking the car behind him as he went. They worked together to get inside, with Louis using the key to unlock the front door, and holding it open so Harry could get them into the lobby.

Then Harry headed for the stairs, taking them at a slow, steady pace.

“I’m sorry,” Louis said.

“Don’t be. I need to get my steps in, right?”

Louis smiled sadly. “No, I meant about having to come get me. And now carrying me upstairs. Your back will be feeling it tomorrow.”

“Eh, it’s worth it.” When they reached the top of the landing, Harry leaned in for a quick kiss. They went up one more flight and then found themselves in front of their door. Harry had to put him down to unlock this door, as the lock was starting to stick and they had to jiggle it just right to make it work. But once he did, Louis hopped inside, plopping down on the couch when he reached it.

Harry went into the linen closet in the bathroom, searching through everything until he found the Ace bandage they kept for emergencies. Then he went into the kitchen and filled a gallon-sized bag with ice and some cold water to help it fit better around Louis’ foot.

He went back to the living room and propped Louis’ ankle up on one of the cushions from the armchair.

“Let me see.” Harry took Louis’ sneakers off, as well as the sock on his right foot. He quickly wrapped the bandage around it, using the metal clip to keep it in place. Then he carefully placed the ice on top.

“Let’s keep that up for a while, OK?”

Louis nodded.

“Can I get you anything?” Harry asked.

“Maybe just some Tylenol?”

“You got it.” Before he left the room again, though, he knelt down by the sofa and kissed Louis softly on the lips. When they separated, he said, “I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Harry went to the kitchen. He grabbed a water bottle and the bottle of pain pills from the cabinet.

When he returned, he found Louis looking a little sleepy.

“Here, take these.”

Harry dumped two pills into his palm and passed them and the water over.

Louis sat up so he could take the medicine.

“OK, now you relax,” Harry instructed.

“Will you sit with me?” Louis asked quietly. He was also pouting a little bit, which was pretty much Harry’s weakness.

Harry sat down on the couch and got comfortable. Then Louis sat back, his head in Harry’s lap. Harry started running his fingers through Louis’ hair.

“I love you,” Louis said, his voice starting to drift like he was already falling asleep.

“I love you, too. So much.”

“Sorry for messing up your afternoon.”

Harry smiled. “You could never. Promise.”

As the two of them dozed off together, Harry couldn’t help but notice how true that was.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!  
> <3


End file.
